


The Unexpected

by MalfoysRaven



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bigotry & Prejudice, Gen, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Ministry of Magic Employee Percy Weasley, Post-War, Tattoos, Weasleys Witches & Writers' Hump Day Prompts, Weasleys Witches and Writers Wheel Of Death Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28634241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalfoysRaven/pseuds/MalfoysRaven
Summary: Percy is learning to handle unexpected things much better than he used to.
Kudos: 10
Collections: Hump Day Drabbles





	The Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Weasleys, Witches, and Writers Wheel of Death Wednesday. I picked Anarchy where I was given my Weasley, a trope, and a setting...the wheel of death gave me Percy Weasley, tattoo parlour, and the ministry. I hope I did my prompt justice.
> 
> Thank you to [noxsoulmate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate) for the beta help!!!
> 
> Any remaining mistakes are my own!

Walking through the atrium of the Ministry, one would be unable to miss the commotion going on at the check-in desk.

“What do you bloody well mean my appointment was cancelled?”

Percy was unable to hear the reply of the receptionist as he continued his way towards the lift that would take him to his office. Pressing the call button and waiting for one of the cars to arrive, he had an unobstructed view of the scene.

There was no way he wouldn’t recognise one Theodore Nott. He began to join almost every Sunday dinner at his parents’ house ever since Ron and Draco made their relationship official—if that wasn’t something that surprised everyone. Percy hadn’t been sure exactly why Theodore seemed to follow everywhere Draco was, but the more dinners he joined, the more Percy was intrigued by the younger man.

It started the first warm summer day when Theodore came over in a black t-shirt and khaki trousers. It wasn’t his outfit that pulled Percy’s attention though—no, not at all. What he hadn’t been expecting were the intricate tattoos that covered every inch of visible skin and seemed to disappear under the shirt sleeves.

Pulled from the memory of that warm summer day, Percy listened in while he stood in the cold atrium.

“Tell me how a meeting that has already been rescheduled—no less than four times—and by the business permit office, might I add—has now been taken off the calendar completely? As if it had never even existed? I still have the letter confirming date and time, right here.”

Percy watched on as Theodore’s voice continued to rise in volume and he began to wave a piece of parchment in the secretary’s face. He knew exactly who was sitting at the desk that morning, and he also had a pretty good feeling as to why the meeting was written off the books. In an attempt to ignore the man, Percy began to organise his satchel while still waiting for the lifts. Unfortunately, it was hard to ignore the condescending tone that dripped across the atrium. 

“Well, Mr Nott, there are more important things going on in the Ministry than someone like you wanting to open a tattoo parlour in Knockturn Alley.”

Barely giving the horribly prejudiced woman time to finish her sentence, Percy quit pretending not to pay attention and walked over to the altercation. A bright smile on his face, he held his hand out, “Theodore, so good to see you again. I hope you won’t miss Sunday dinner, Mum is supposed to try a new dessert recipe that sounded delicious when Dad told me about it.”

“Oh… umm, yes, I’m sure I’ll be there,” the young man said, confusion clear in his voice. Even though he held on for Percy’s overly enthusiastic handshake, his brows furrowed as if he was trying to figure out what was going on.

“Good, good. I know Ginny was looking forward to a rematch on the quidditch pitch if the weather holds out.”

Clearing his throat and glancing at the line that started to form, Percy continued, “How about you accompany me to my office and I can give you some pointers? About her game, that is. So you can continue to be the only person to ever best her on a broom.”

“Umm, excuse me, Mr Weasley, but Mr Nott doesn’t have the proper credentials to accompany you past the atrium. Especially since his appointment was cancelled.”

Sliding his gaze over to the snotty receptionist, Percy did his best to embody who he used to be when he thought being Junior Assistant to a corrupt Minister was the best thing that could happen in his life. Lifting his chin and actually looking down at her, he spoke in his best haughty voice.

“That will be enough Amanda.  _ Theodore _ is here as my guest and he has every right to follow me to my office. No different than when my mother visits my father or Draco comes for lunch with Ron and Harry. If you would please hand over a visitor badge, we will be on our way.”

Levelling her with a pointed stare, Percy didn’t move until Theodore had the visitor badge in hand and was pinning it to his shirt.

Leaning closer to her, he whispered, “Next time, try not to be such a bigot or I will bring this up to the Minister.” 

As he straightened back up, Percy turned to smile at Theodore, “Are you ready?”

“After you,” Theodore replied, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he gestured towards the lifts—and yes, Percy should definitely tear his gaze away from those plump lips.

An empty car opened up almost as soon as Percy and Theodore stepped in front of the doors and it didn’t waste any time zooming towards the business offices—on the complete opposite end of the Ministry from Percy’s office.

“I heard you were looking to open a tattoo parlour?” he inquired, partially to kill time and partially because he was interested in the answer. No matter how quick the lifts travelled, the Ministry was still huge and it was never quick to travel anywhere within.

Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, Percy saw a glimpse of the ink he now knew was hidden beneath. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering just how much more of the man’s body was covered. Were they everywhere? Only on his arms? What did the pieces mean?

Lost in his own thoughts, Percy missed most of Theodore’s explanation but the end seemed to be the most important part.

“… I want to make people happy and I’m good at drawing. Tattoos make me happy and if I can do that for others, why not try?”

“But you can’t get the license to open a business, right?”

“More like… I can’t get past the receptionist to even talk to anyone in the business office. I seem to always be thwarted by the same receptionist.”

Setting that piece of information aside, Percy resolved to let someone know about Amanda. Anyone continuing to further the rift that almost pulled Wizarding Britain apart needed to be dealt with.

“Good thing I have a friend who can help you out,” Percy said. 

When the lift came to a halt and opened into a dingy hallway, the only door seen was wide open, a tall blonde taking up most of the opening.

“Percy Weasley, what brings you all the way to my humble side of the Ministry?” Penelope Clearwater asked, “And who is that with you?”

Pushing his companion to exit the lift first, Percy replied, “I have a friend who has been trying to see you, but I don’t think you’ve been getting the proper memos.”

Clapping Theodore on the back, Percy stepped back into the lift before the doors shut again, “I trust you can find your way back out after you are done here. Oh, and I hope you can make it Sunday.”

And with that, he let the lift doors close and whisk him away to his own office where he should have already started on his work for the day. He had a feeling he would be daydreaming about a tattooed brunet who he really hoped would show up at the end of the week.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on tumblr if you’d like at [MalfoysRaven](https://malfoysraven.tumblr.com/)! I’m still working on figuring it all out though!
> 
> Or come visit me on Facebook at [MalfoysRaven](https://www.facebook.com/malfoys.raven.5)! 
> 
> Comments and kudos feed my soul!


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